WASHINGTON — A Memphis-area police officer arrested Sunday near the White House had a cache of weapons in his car, and said he had an appointment with top administration officials.
WTOP has learned the arrested officer is Timothy Bates, of Collierville, Tennessee.
Johnny Crumby, president of the Tennessee State Lodge of the Fraternal Order Of Police, said Bates has been a full-time officer in the Memphis area.
Crumby said Bates joined the FOP in 2011, as a member of Lodge 35. When contacted by WTOP, a spokesperson for Lodge 35 said “no comment.”
NBC Washington reports Bates left the Memphis Police Department in 2013 after 13 years on the force.
According to a police incident report obtained by WTOP, officers from the the U.S. Secret Service Uniform Division approached Bates outside the Renwick Gallery, at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, near the White House, as he was allegedly relieving himself.
Bates told officers and agents he was headed to the White House, and wanted to meet with National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers and Defense Secretary James Mattis “for advice on missing paychecks and how to get the dog chip out of my head,” according to the incident report.
The man’s 2009 Silver Nissan had Tennessee Fraternal Order of Police license plates. When asked if he had any weapons in his car, the man said yes, and consented to a search.
According to the report, officers “located three hard gun cases in plain view,” and requested the Secret Service crime scene unit for a thorough search.
Police found nine guns, including several handguns and assault-style rifles, as well as three knives, brass knuckles, suppressors and ammunition.
Bates was taken to a D.C. facility “for mental observation,” and was later charged with several weapons violations at a police station.
Court records show Bates is scheduled to make his first appearance in D.C. Superior Court Monday afternoon.
Source: http://wtop.com/dc/2017/09/report-man-arrested-near-white-house-weapons-car/